Particles comprising polyamides with pendent optical absorbers and related methods

Abstract

A method for producing highly spherical polymer particles comprising a polyamide having an optical absorber pendent from a backbone of the polyamide (OAMB-polyamide) may comprise: mixing a mixture comprising the OAMB-polyamide, a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the OAMB-polyamide, and optionally an emulsion stabilizer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the OAMB-polyamide and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the OAMB-polyamide in the carrier fluid; and cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the OAMB-polyamide to form particles comprising the OAMB-polyamide and the emulsion stabilizer, when present, associated with an outer surface of the particles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising:
 particles comprising a polyamide having an optical absorber pendent from a backbone of the polyamide (OAMB-polyamide) and having a circularity of about 0.90 to about 1.0;
 wherein the particles have a D10 of about 0.1 μm to about 125 μm, a D50 of about 0.5 μm to about 200 μm, and a D90 of about 3 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90. 
   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles further comprise a thermoplastic polymer that is not the OAMB-polyamide. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles further comprise the polyamide but without an optical absorber pendent therefrom. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles further comprise an emulsion stabilizer associated with an outer surface of the particles. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein at least some of the particles have a void comprising the emulsion stabilizer at a void/polymer interface. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer comprises nanoparticles and the nanoparticles are embedded in the void/polymer interface. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer comprises nanoparticles. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer forms a coating that covers at least 50% of the outer surface of the particles. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical absorber is selected from the group consisting of rhodamines, fluoresceins, coumarins, naphthalimides, benzoxanthenes, acridines, cyanines, oxazins, phenanthridine, pyrrole ketones, benzaldehydes, polymethines, triarylmethanes, anthraquinones, pyrazolones, quinophthalones, carbonyl dyes, diazo dyes, perinones, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), dioxazine dyes, phthalocyanines, indanthrenes, benzanthrone, violanthrones, azo dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, quinacridone dyes, anthraquinone dyes, indigo dyes, thioindigo dyes, perinone dyes, perylene dyes, isoindolene dyes, aromatic amino acids, flavins, derivatives of pyridoxyl, derivatives of chlorophyll, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polyamide is selected from the group consisting of polycaproamide, polyhexamethylene succinamide, polyhexamethylene adipamide, polypentamethylene adipamide, polyhexamethylene sebacamide, polyundecamide, polydodecamide, polyhexamethylene terephthalamide, nylon 10,10, nylon 10,12, nylon 10,14, nylon 10,18, nylon 6,18, nylon 6,12, nylon 6,14, nylon 12,12, a semi-aromatic polyamide, an aromatic polyamide, any copolymer thereof, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the OAMB-polyamide comprises an alkyl linker connecting the polyamide and the optical absorber. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the alkyl linker has 2-18 carbons. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the alkyl linker has 2-6 carbons. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a diameter span of about 0.2 to about 10. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical absorber is pendent from the backbone of the polyamide by an ester bond. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 depositing particles upon a surface, the particles comprising a polyamide having an optical absorber pendent from a backbone of the polyamide (OAMB-polyamide) and having a circularity of about 0.90 to about 1.0;   wherein the particles have a D10 of about 0.1 μm to about 125 μm, a D50 of about 0.5 μm to about 200 μm, and a D90 of about 3 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90; and   once deposited, heating at least a portion of the particles to promote consolidation thereof to form a consolidated body upon the surface in a specified shape.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the particles further comprise a thermoplastic polymer that is not the OAMB-polyamide. 
     
     
         19 . The methods of  claim 17 , wherein the particles further comprise the polyamide but without an optical absorber pendent therefrom. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the particles further comprise an emulsion stabilizer associated with an outer surface thereof, the emulsion stabilizer comprising nanoparticles.